Lerderderg State Park Visitor Guide The Lerderderg River, which rises on the Great Dividing Range, has cut a rugged 300 metre deep gorge through sandstone and slate in its course southwards to the plains near Bacchus Marsh. The Gorge is the dominant feature of the 20,180 hectare park which also protects a wide variety of vegetation from fern gullies to dry open forest, colourful displays of spring wildflowers and some interesting relics of early gold mining. Camping O’Briens Crossing and Upper Chadwick Track have designated campgrounds. Walk-in camping is permitted within the Conservation Zone, but n o t e s solid fuel fires are prohibited. Some vehicle based camping is permitted elsewhere in the park. Campers should be prepared for a basic bush camping experience and to be self-sufficient with drinking water. Carry it in and/or know how to make untreated water safe for drinking. Overnight walks, such as down the river from Blackwood to Mackenzies Flat, should only be undertaken by parties of experienced bushwalkers. When camping beside the river, remember that river levels can rise suddenly after heavy rain. A wide range of accommodation is available in and around Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Blackwood and Gisborne. p a r k Exploring the park Car touring and 4-wheel driving The park is a great place for outdoor activities O’Briens Crossing, and Golden Point, near including, bushwalking, picnicking, camping, Blackwood, are the two crossings of the river for photography, nature study and car touring. two wheel drive vehicles in the park. Along O’Briens Road there are panoramic views of Walking Lerderderg Gorge and Wombat State Forest to Walking is the best way to see the park. Tracks the north. The road is unsealed but suitable for provide for a variety of walks from short, easy two wheel drive vehicles. strolls to challenging overnight expeditions. There are several four wheel drive tracks, mostly in the north and east of the park which connect Picnicking O’Briens Road and the Lerderderg Gorge Road. There are two major picnic areas in the park at For management reasons, many of these tracks Mackenzies Flat and O’Briens Crossing. are closed over the winter period (between June Mackenzies Flat Picnic Area, at the end of the and October). Some tracks are closed to reduce Lerderderg Gorge Road, has toilets, electric the spread of Cinnamon Fungus. barbecues and picnic tables. This area is very popular with day visitors and people looking for a How to get there place to swim on hot days. Camping and dogs The park lies north of Bacchus Marsh between and are not permitted in this picnic area or on the Blackwood and Gisborne. The main access roads walking track to Grahams Dam. to the park are the Lerderderg Gorge Road north of Bacchus Marsh, or O’Briens Road which runs O’Briens Crossing has toilets and fireplaces. across the north of the park south of Blackwood to Shaw’s Lake has a small picnic area with tables the Bacchus Marsh-Gisborne Road. and a fireplace. For more information call the Parks Victoria Information Centre on 13 1963 or visit our website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au To Firth To Shaws Lake Trentham Picnic Area Park ROAD ROAD CHETTLE HAYDEN TUNNEL Yankee Creek TRACK ROAD Shaws POINT ROAD 2 Lake Creek Creek Saltwater Blackwood TRACK Ruths Creek l Sweets Creek POST Lookout TRACK Upper Chadwick FIRTH POINT RUTHS GULLY Campground TRACK Golden GOLDEN REFERENCE AREA SALTWATER (No Access) Point ROAD COACH RD Water Gardiner OLD LANE TRACK XL Lerderderg Billet WOMBAT STATE FOREST DIGGERS FIRTH FINGER Creek Diggers TRACK Creek 4 Clear AMBLER ROAD DEADMANS River DIGGERS The Tunnel UPPER TRACK TK BYERS TROUT STAR K ROAD T S CHADWICK Creek TRACK R Sardine POSSUM OBRIENS E ROAD T BACK MORNING TRACK TRACK S BLUE B GORMAN ROAD TRACK CA E GUM RR O W 3 TK TRACK TK OBRIENS L TK L S ROAD LINK TRACK SHORT CUT OBRIENS TK (Formerly NO. 1 LANE ROAD KANGAROO EAST FIREBREAK TK) GRIBBLE OBriens Crossing TRACK 1 ROAD HILLS WOMBAT WALK Campground & FIREBREAK NOLAN Picnic Area BLUE GUM Gully OBRIENS Lerderderg GREEN HOGAN LINK TK To TRACK BLUE Gisborne TRACK Creek STATE Nolan Creek Laming WHISKY Creek NO.2 TRACK GUM CHAMPAGNE DUNN ROAD FOREST TRACK Creek 5 Middle RUM Gully TK Rum TRACK Bullengarook Upsall WATTIES Creek l TRACK Hill Creek KE TRACK NW MOUNT O R Cowan RACTLIFFE THY TRACK TK COWAN ONION TRENTHAM Whisky VODKA Scotties Dale Gully River Watties Dales Creek TK SPANISH RACTLIFFE LERDERDERG Creek C318 BLACKWOOD Landon TRACK TK TRACK WEST Strachan River Hill NO. 1 NO. l (DRY WEATHER ONLY) Knock em Blue BOTTLE GREENDALE SEPARATE TRACK Down Creek TK PARKNOTE ROAD TRACK AVAILABLE Old Creek MACKENZIES Creek ROAD SQUARE TK Gully Blackwood Gully RAZORBACK HOGAN NUGGETY Mount Mount CHADWICK Grey Watties Chadwick Gully l Nuggety TRACK The WEST LOWER Mount TK Blackwood NO. 2 LERDERDERG LANE l Gully BLUE AH KOW STATE TRACK Ah Kow LANE Goodmans PARK Greendale BLACKWOOD G TK GUM R RANGES RANGE (Pyrete E MOUNT E TK DRY W N ( E D HEAD Creek ALE A T Range) H Pyrites MYRNIONG TRACK TRACK E R GISBORNE BEARS To Ballan O MORRISONS Dale N LY) GRASSYGRASSY FOXY BLACKWOOD RANGES GULLY TK HOLTS ROAD Foxy TK ROAD Long Point Creek LONG POINT NO. 5 Creek TK AH KOW GULLY SEEREYS Lerderderg BLACKWOOD MUIRS LANE GULLY REFERENCE AREA Gully (No Access) TRACK MYRNIONG BLACKWOOD TRACK Fly Lerderderg State Park WEST ROAD Korobeit Blue Highway RANGES LERDERDERG LERDERDERG KOROBEIT CLIFFORD Creek Sealed road PATTINSONS LANE TUNNEL Unsealed road Gum Gully ROAD TRACK 4WD track Gully ACCESS (may be subject to CAMERONS ROAD seasonal closure) River Grahams TRACK Dam Creek Horseriding, Cycling (may be subject to Clifford Cockatoo RD PYKES CREEK RESERVOIRseasonal closure) SEEREYS RUSSELLS ROAD ROAD Mackenzies To Ballarat Walking track Korkuperrimul 1 Flat Picnic GORGE Area 1 Walk reference number Coimadai Gate Creek ROAD LERDERDERG MERRIMU State Park RESERVOIR MARSH State Forest Reference Area Myrniong C704 Conservation Zone WESTERN (No Fires) COIMADAI Water body DIGGERS REST GORGE RD Creek SWANS PENTLAND Recreational HILLS Facilities Goodmans Barbecue ROAD Camping BACCHUS ROAD Fireplace Lookout PENTLAND Park information Picnic table Toilets HILLS Darley Kilmore CALDER FREEWAY 0 500 1000 1500 l Kyneton l l METRES Daylesford ã Cartography by Spatial Vision 2008 l LERDERDERG STATE PARK ROAD N M/5962 Creswick HIGHWAY WESTERN l M8 BallaratMIDLAND HIGHWAY l Bacchus Bacchus MELBOURNE Marsh Marsh l BACCHUS Parks FWY Victoria MELBOURNE HIGHWAY Office l H MARSH C802 PRINCES © Geelong To Melton & l ROAD Melbourne To Firth To Shaws Lake Trentham Picnic Area Park ROAD ROAD CHETTLE HAYDEN TUNNEL Yankee Creek TRACK ROAD Shaws POINT ROAD 2 Lake Creek Creek Saltwater Blackwood TRACK Ruths Creek l Sweets Creek POST Lookout TRACK Upper Chadwick FIRTH POINT RUTHS GULLY Campground TRACK Golden GOLDEN REFERENCE AREA SALTWATER (No Access) Point ROAD COACH RD Water Gardiner OLD LANE TRACK XL Lerderderg Billet WOMBAT STATE FOREST DIGGERS FIRTH FINGER Creek Diggers TRACK Creek 4 Clear AMBLER ROAD DEADMANS River DIGGERS The Tunnel UPPER TRACK TK BYERS TROUT STAR K ROAD T S CHADWICK Creek TRACK R Sardine POSSUM OBRIENS E ROAD T BACK MORNING TRACK TRACK S BLUE B GORMAN ROAD TRACK CA E GUM RR O W 3 TK TRACK TK OBRIENS L TK L S ROAD LINK TRACK SHORT CUT OBRIENS TK (Formerly NO. 1 LANE ROAD KANGAROO EAST FIREBREAK TK) GRIBBLE OBriens Crossing TRACK 1 ROAD HILLS WOMBAT WALK Campground & FIREBREAK NOLAN Picnic Area BLUE GUM Gully OBRIENS Lerderderg GREEN HOGAN LINK TK To TRACK BLUE Gisborne TRACK Creek STATE Nolan Creek Laming WHISKY Creek NO.2 TRACK GUM CHAMPAGNE DUNN ROAD FOREST TRACK Creek 5 Middle RUM Gully TK Rum TRACK Bullengarook Upsall WATTIES Creek l TRACK Hill Creek KE TRACK NW MOUNT O R Cowan RACTLIFFE THY TRACK TK COWAN ONION TRENTHAM Whisky VODKA Scotties Dale Gully River Watties Dales Creek TK SPANISH RACTLIFFE LERDERDERG Creek C318 BLACKWOOD Landon TRACK TK TRACK WEST Strachan River Hill NO. 1 NO. l (DRY WEATHER ONLY) Knock em Blue BOTTLE GREENDALE SEPARATE TRACK Down Creek TK PARKNOTE ROAD TRACK AVAILABLE Old Creek MACKENZIES Creek ROAD SQUARE TK Gully Blackwood Gully RAZORBACK HOGAN NUGGETY Mount Mount CHADWICK Grey Watties Chadwick Gully l Nuggety TRACK The WEST LOWER Mount TK Blackwood NO. 2 LERDERDERG LANE l Gully BLUE AH KOW STATE TRACK Ah Kow LANE Goodmans PARK Greendale BLACKWOOD G TK GUM R RANGES RANGE (Pyrete E MOUNT E TK DRY W N ( E D HEAD Creek ALE A T Range) H Pyrites MYRNIONG TRACK TRACK E R GISBORNE BEARS To Ballan O MORRISONS Dale N LY) GRASSYGRASSY FOXY BLACKWOOD RANGES GULLY TK HOLTS ROAD Foxy TK ROAD Long Point Creek LONG POINT NO. 5 Creek TK AH KOW GULLY SEEREYS Lerderderg BLACKWOOD MUIRS LANE GULLY REFERENCE AREA Gully (No Access) TRACK MYRNIONG BLACKWOOD TRACK Fly Lerderderg State Park WEST ROAD Korobeit Blue Highway RANGES LERDERDERG LERDERDERG KOROBEIT CLIFFORD Creek Sealed road PATTINSONS LANE TUNNEL Unsealed road Gum Gully ROAD TRACK 4WD track Gully ACCESS (may be subject to CAMERONS ROAD seasonal closure) River Grahams TRACK Dam Creek Horseriding, Cycling (may be subject to Clifford Cockatoo RD PYKES CREEK RESERVOIRseasonal closure) SEEREYS RUSSELLS ROAD ROAD Mackenzies To Ballarat Walking track Korkuperrimul 1 Flat Picnic GORGE Area 1 Walk reference number Coimadai Gate Creek ROAD LERDERDERG MERRIMU State Park RESERVOIR MARSH State Forest Reference Area Myrniong C704 Conservation Zone WESTERN (No Fires) COIMADAI Water body DIGGERS REST GORGE RD Creek SWANS PENTLAND Recreational HILLS Facilities Goodmans Barbecue ROAD Camping BACCHUS ROAD Fireplace Lookout PENTLAND Park information Picnic table Toilets HILLS Darley Kilmore CALDER FREEWAY 0 500 1000 1500 l Kyneton l l METRES Daylesford ã Cartography by Spatial Vision 2008 l LERDERDERG STATE PARK ROAD N M/5962 Creswick HIGHWAY WESTERN l M8 BallaratMIDLAND HIGHWAY l Bacchus Bacchus MELBOURNE Marsh Marsh l BACCHUS Parks FWY Victoria MELBOURNE HIGHWAY Office l H MARSH C802 PRINCES © Geelong To Melton & l ROAD Melbourne For further information Be fire ready and stay safe Be prepared Parks Victoria Although the tracks are generally well defined, Information Centre Many parks and forests are located in high fire risk many have rough sections so it is advisable to Call 13 1963 areas.